Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The Lady's Guide to Perfect Gentility - Regency Perfumes

One of the great things about being a historical writer
is the process of discovery. I just finished a Regency Christmas story (that
will be available late November) and I needed to know what my hero smelled like
– which got me to thinking about scents and smells in general. Who were the
Dolce and Gabanna’s and Chanel’s of that day? Or did they only make perfumes at
home?

My first discovery led me to Floris London, a quaint
little shop on Jermyn Street that sold perfumes, combs and shaving implements.
Floris is still in London and still run by Juan Floris’ ancestors.

So, I was really excited about their perfume processes.
Today they have a unique experience available in their shop: bespoke perfume
design. I so want to do this the next time I am in London. “Using rare and
precious essential oils and floral essences gathered from around the world, the
Floris perfumer will custom blend an exclusive and individual fragrance.”

At their website, there is also a Fragrance Finder. Why
do I like this? Well, I got to thinking about my hero – a dashing widowed duke.
I made my selections and – viola – my hero was a vetiver and sandalwood kind of
guy.

They use many other exotic fragrances as well, among
them: bergamot, jasmine, marine, pink
peppercorn, oleander, peony, rose, summer berries, musk,
patchouli and sandalwood - and this is for just one perfume!

Other famous perfumeries including the French company
Roger and Gallet with its Jean Marie
Farina perfume launched in 1806: Truefitt and Hill, the oldest barbershop
in the world and famous for its Freshman
colognes and shaving creams; and another company Carthusia makes a perfume Fiori Di Capri which blends amber and
sandalwood and is created from a medieval recipe from 1380.

Naturally there
were also many homemade formulations.

Rose water is frequently mentioned in romance novels.

Here’s the recipe: “Put roses into water and add one or
two drips of vitriolic acid. The water assumes the color and becomes
impregnated with the aroma of the flowers.”

Or this one for perfumed oils: “These are prepared by
soaking cotton in fine olive oil and spreading it in layers over which such
flowers as violets, jessamine or roses, should be lightly strewn. The oil will
thus imbibe the scent of the flowers and should then be pressed from the
cotton, and, if necessary, filtered through flannel. Most of the French scented
oils are made by this process.”

I won’t be mixing up a batch of perfume on my oven
anytime soon but I will be stopping at Floris the next time I am in London. And
when you smell Adam, Duke of Sterling, in my Christmas story, you’ll know
where he bought his cologne.